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Details[]

Though one of the first warplanes built by Germany after WWI, the He-59 proved to be extremely versatile and useful long after it was "obsolete". So much so that in 1943, even though their numbers had dwindled, no less than 18 units still operated various models of He 59. These units used this venerable aircraft for such missions and mining, ground attack, rescue, transport, electronic warfare and psy-war missions. The He 59 served with the Kondor legion as a bomber and in 1940 ten He 59C-2 rescue transport were used to fly 60 troops to the Waal at Rotterdam to capture the bridges there.[1]

Connection to Piece of Cake[]

In August 1940, Yellow Section - 'Moggy' Cattermole and "Nim" Renouf were scrambled by Snowball in pursuit of a single aircraft flying northwest of Dover. After almost half an hour flying back and forth over East Kent, Cattermole spotted a He-59 preparing to rescue the crew of a Messerschmitt Bf 110 which had crashed in the English Channel.[2] After getting his windscreen covered by blood and feathers from a seagull flying into his prop, Cattermole pulled away and ordered Renouf to destroy the Heinkel, which burst into flames.[3]

When 'Baggy' Bletchley visited Hornet Squadron that evening to inspect the squadron's aircraft, he confirmed the orders to destroy German Red Cross aircraft, as they were used to snoop on convoys and intercept Allied radio transmissions, but advised the squadron to keep quiet about it, as the public might not understand.[4]

Due to non-availability of a Heinkel He-59, the sequence of the attack on the Red Cross aircraft in the miniseries featured a Junkers Ju-52

Notes[]

  1. Production subcontracted to Walter Bachmann AG, Ribnitz; also some built under license (About 1935) by Arado Flugzeugwerke
  2. Many subtypes carried at least one 20mm MG FF. Most B-2 variants had provisions for 2,205 lbs. (1000kg) of mines, bombs, and other ordnance.

Sources[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Warbird Resource Group
  2. Robinson, Derek. Piece of Cake Pan Books. 1983. ISBN 0-330-28404-5 Pages 499-500
  3. Robinson, Derek. 1983. Page 501
  4. Robinson, Derek. 1983. Pages 503-504

Bibliography[]

  • Kay, Anthony. German Aircraft of the Second World War
  • Robinson, Derek. Piece of Cake
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